Football is a business. Business is about providing a desirable/entertaining product to the customer. Business is peoples jobs. Protecting the job at times overrides the need of the customer. Protecting a job is about reducing the risk reward ratio to the job owners comfort level (or the level of his boss or his bosses boss).
In football it is accomplished by calling high percentage plays … conservative, safe, boring … not really entertaining to the customer. The most recent/dominant is the Quarterback sneak used for most every under 1 yard situation on the field. Others are the field goal from less than 10 yards out, the punt from midfield, the ground game from inside your own 10 yard line, many situations in the last minutes of either half and others.
A solution would be the ‘Free Play’.
A team would have the right to call one Free Play per half. The free play is one extra down called after the last down has been played. This is not a mulligan to redo the last play. Called only for in game plays not converts. Free play could not be used if the in game play was a punt or field goal attempt. (too many redos on bad punts and failed field goal attempts especially those with great runbacks).
Now on my last down play, short yardage or otherwise because I have Free Play, I have my complete playbook open, could use my number 1 quarterback and the defence has to respect all of that.
If my last down play is successful, Free Play stays in my pocket. If I failed then I can call for my Free Play and carryon.
